Part of the tour involves drinking neat gin, which some people are really against! It’s always fun to see peoples “gin faces” and I think most people actually enjoy that part of it more than they expect. There’s really no better way to distinguish the different botanicals and character of each gin that first sipping it on its own!” This Christmas is obviously looking far different to previous years and we may not be able to do the in-person tours to the same extent we have previously. The whole hospitality supply chain has been so disrupted this year so I’d really encourage people to support their local bars, restaurants, and manufacturers. Whether you buy a voucher for a distillery tour next year, a bottle of gin for your Secret Santa, we’re always here to tell you what we love about it - we’re more active on social media than ever before and have found that a great way to interact with people!” City of Manchester Distillery Tameside Gin is the area’s first ever gin distillery, based in Denton - just a 25 minute drive from Manchester city centre. Their product range is crafted with 100% natural plant-based ingredients and described as "proper”, “no nonsense” gin. We chatted to the owner of Tameside Gin, Lee Chisnall, who told us a little bit about what the last few months have looked like for the company.

To find out a little more about what they do, we went on one of their distillery tours and chatted to the owners.Our gin distillery is based within Macclesfield Forest which is the ideal base for a country walk, whilst our whisky is made at the UK's highest altitude distillery at the Cat & Fiddle Inn. The remote locations mean that the tours here are some of the most socially distant activities available in the area!" Thomas Dakin was the gentleman behind the Greenall’s distillery in Warrington, which isn’t just the oldest (established in 1761) but claims to be the home of the world’s first female distiller. Set up by Sherwin Acebuche and Tim Driver, the unique flavours of Tarsier’s beautiful gins have been inspired by their travels around the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Well look no further, as a brand new spirits tasting experience is launching in the heart of Manchester city centre – and there’s vodka, rum and gin on the menu.

A spokesperson for Thomas Dakin told us, “As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, work on the Thomas Dakin Distillery has been placed on hold. An update will be shared in due course on plans for the distillery – we expect this to be in the new year. All of our multi-award winning spirits are produced from predominantly organic or wild foraged botanicals. Come and see us on a distillery tour where you can sample some amazing Forest Gin and Forest Whisky and learn more about how it’s made." Your experience will last around an hour and will begin with a drink of your choice from our range of spirits, giving you a perfect serve of one of our award-winning spirits. Next, you’ll be given a guided tour of our distillery while learning about our history, passion and love for spirits which then will be followed by a tasting of our diverse selection of spirits. Boothstown Gin was inspired by Joseph Evans (1803-1874). A famous Botanist and herbalist from Boothstown, highly revered by the local community. He practised his science and held open surgeries for all comers in public houses around the area.

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Our tours and experiences are the perfect way to open our doors to our community and all the gin lovers out there, for them to see first hand how we produce our gin, meet our Stills Frederica & Venetia and taste our products at source. Our family story is at the essence of everything we do and our events allow our followers to not only learn about how we craft our gin, but also feel part of the family.” Zymurgorium Our second city centre-based gin is Manchester Three Rivers. Taking inspiration from Manchester’s past, present and future, it’s the creation of Dave Rigby, who moved from lecturing to bar owning to master distiller. At The Botanist, you can take a Gin Discovery Masterclass. “ Truth be told, there’s more to gin than tonic! Discover the origins and history of our botanists’ favourite tipple, as our experts guide you through our gin tasting masterclass. Enjoy a range of expertly selected gins, as you learn to identify the unique flavours and botanicals in every bottle. Each 90 minute session is ideal for 6-12 people (it’s no fun with less!).” Not only is there a distinctive gin to be found in the railway arches of the Green Quarter, but also a gin school – offering both you and I the opportunity to learn a little about gin, how it’s made and also to make your own and take it home. Tarsier Gin Defiance Spirits can be found in Springhead, Oldham. Although it’s a good 35 minute drive from the city centre, this premium gin distillery is definitely not to be missed. Nestled in the foothills of the Pennines, Defiance is the first UK brand in 14 years to win ‘Best In Show’ at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Awards and their gin range really does speak for itself.

This gin from the four sisters of the seven brothers is actually from Salford, but as I love both cities and gin can be found at the Seven Bro7hers Beerhouse in Ancoats, I think that allows me to include it (plus I’m the one writing it, so…). Another difference with this gin is that it’s distilled a little differently. The botanicals are held in the basket at the top of the still so it’s light and crisp. A very easy drinker. I chose the Lemon Verbena that grew in our garden, followed by mandarins - my favourite fruit that my grandfather used to buy for me”, Filipe says, “This resulted in a taste of Portuguese sunshine with a touch of saudade”. Worsley Gin In the meantime, we wish everyone in the Greater Manchester area well, especially our friends in the hospitality industry, during this incredibly difficult time.” Sis4ers Distillery It’s a classic London Dry-style gin using six organic botanicals – juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, lemon verbena and mandarin peel. Though inspired by Japan, Kuro has its roots in Manchester. Craig Fell and John Thomson have taken the pine-scented ski slopes of Japan and with the help of a master distiller behind most of the gins on your supermarket shelf, created a fresh, clean gin with botanicals including silver birch and bamboo.A range of spirits – rather than a range of gins – means that there will always be something in the experience for everyone, and you’ll hopefully always come out of it learning something new.” Defiance is an original, innovative distillery which doesn’t follow convention. Crafting unique spirits with eye-catching designs. Defiance Distillery was launched by Paul Sheerin in 2017, an outlet for his passion for food and drink which started in his 20s while travelling the world. Defiance represents Paul’s passion for quality and design, which can be seen in everything he creates. Shortly after launching the Distillery was built in the foothills of Oldham/Saddleworth which is open on Friday nights as a gin experience bar on Friday nights and as a Gin Academy on Saturday, which means the passion can be shared with the wider public The plan was for Thomas Dakin Gin to be distilled in Manchester but as yet there is no still distillery. Nevertheless, the gin carries Manchester’s name, and there’s no denying the innovation and skill behind the brand. Oh, and it’s also a rather lovely savoury-style gin. Worsley Gin The Taste The Distillery Experience will take place at The Spirit of Manchester Distillery in our brand-new tasting room, next door to Three Little Words and will be available from the 22nd of October every Friday & Saturday. Our distillery experiences are a must when visiting Manchester and have been named a TripAdvisor Traveller Favourite and have won awards from Gin Magazine, The Spirits Business, the International Spirits Challenge. How can I book?

We’ve spent those years perfecting the art of distillation across multiple spirits, and while it started with gin, we’re exploring exciting new products that we’re looking forward to sharing with our customers. Winner of Best Spirits Bar North West and Best Bar Team North West in The Great British Pub Awards alongside the Design My Night Best Beer Garden Award and a finalist in the 2019 Star Pub Awards for Best Spirits Bar in the UK. The city punches massively above its weight in the distilling game when it comes to the delicious juniper spirit. Enough to be able to put together an A to Z of local gins.The ‘Taste the Distillery’ experience launches from 22nd October 2021 and will allow visitors the opportunity to taste and learn about six spirits, including multi award-winning Manchester Gin, as The Spirit of Manchester Distillery is behind the new experience.